Hi, I'm Lilly, and I'm a recovering Shopaholic. I have recently come off of a year-long self-prescribed shopping "detox program" and am already finding it hard to not think of shopping. So, I am starting a new blog that will be dedicated to controlling my habit, posting any outfits that I've put together through re-discovery of forgotten items in my closet (with perhaps a few new items). Please provide input, feedback, and encouragement as I go through my recovery!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Ann Taylor Factory Store Review

I was on a business trip in the Chicago area this past week, Warrenville, which was only 5 miles away from a really awesome outlet mall in Aurora, IL. Kate Spade, Theory, True Religion, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, JCrew, etc. were all calling my name as I made my way down the outdoor aisles! My first stop was Theory, where I tried on a few things, none of which were all that spectacular, so I passed - plus, they were pricier than I was willing to spend on a bolce wool skirt (for example) so, no purchases there (yay! restraint!). My next stop was Banana Republic, where I spent about 40 minutes with fully loaded arms as I made my way to the dressing room - but most of the items either didn't quite do it for me, were more than I would like to spend for the use I'd get out of them, or just looked plain awful! I ended up with a couple of items (described below) and was feeling kind of good about myself for keeping my purchase to

Next was Ann Taylor Factory store, and cha-ching - big time binge and acquisition of several items that I hope I'll get a lot of use out of (see below).

Ann Taylor Factory Store lavender sleeveless ribbon tee, size XS

Banana Republic elastic cotton skirt with rusched waistband, size 0

As you can see above, I went to town on the ribbon tees that have been raved about by other petite bloggers (thank you Really Petite & Extra Petite!). I bought this blouse 3 colors!!

I loved the cardigan pictured above. Still deciding if I like it with the belt (there's a little room which makes for a less than perfect fit). They had this cardigan in several other colors as well, but I had to exercise some restraint, so went with the dark purple as I am short of darker colored cardigans.

Ann Taylor Factory Store lavender/grey sheath dress, size 0P

Ann Taylor patent leather belt in lavender, size S

BR nude patent leather pumps (circa 2009)

I also tried on a lavender/grey-colored sheath dress in a size smaller than I normally wear (0P). This dress is very springy, but paired with a cardigan and tights, could likely be worn in the winter as well. The fit is nice and it is super comfortable and seems to be wrinkle-free. Winner! Below is a picture of how I will likely wear it to a client meeting later this week (I have issues with showing bare arms during client meetings).

Okay, so my biggest impulse buy at Ann Taylor were the shoes pictured below. As I was checking out, I caught a glimpse of these and immediately fell in love. They remind me of some shoes that Carrie Bradshaw from SATC saw in a store window and said "Hello Lover!" Of course, those shoes were Manolo's (I think) and 10 times the price of these. I envision wearing these with shorts and an airy top, with a summer dress to a wedding, or with jeans during a summer night out. These shoes are super comfortable and the nude color of the straps are less likely to cut off the leg making the legs appearing shorter. See my less than great picture taken from a mirror in my bedroom. These shoes are also available in black, also very cute, but I have too many strappy black shoes! Readers, what do you think of these?